What constitutes a well-stocked kitchen? (m)

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vicki-in-tucson

Well-known member
I started to wonder about this when I was reading through the thread about making fast, easy dinners. I seem to have a lot of food in my kitchen, but I'm not sure it's well-stocked. So what are the things I should have on hand at all times?

Thanks!

 
Staples in my cupboard/pantry are...

a few types of vinegar
evaporated milk (for cream sauces)
unopened salad dressing (at least a couple)
olive oil, canola oil
cream of mushroom soup (for casseroles and/or soup!)
crushed tomatoes (for sauce)
canned fruit for an emergency
dried fruit
tuna, peanut butter, other kid-friendly items
and a few bay leaves to keep away the pests!

Added on 2-25:
Oh, I forgot some things. Also:

rice
medium grain white rice
a few types of pasta
couscous
canned mushrooms
dried and canned beans/peas
ripe and green olives
tomato soup, vegetable soup
chicken and beef broth
a couple types of gravy
applesauce
mandarin oranges
mayo
a couple types of mustards
ketchup
salsa
pickles
BBQ sauce
bread crumbs
spices include: basil, cumin, oregano, celery seed, dill seed, peppercorns, salt, rosemary,
thyme, sage, cardamom, coriander, tarragon, chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, ground mustard, fennel, curry powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and I am sure I am forgetting some
baking powder
baking soda
cream of tartar
corn starch
flavorings (orange, lemon, strawberry, mint, butter, vanilla) for baking
vanilla and choc frosting
walnuts
dates
chocolate chips, butterscotch chips
hot chocolate mix, coffee, tea (herbal and reg)
raisins
canned pumpkin, cherry,
oatmeal, a couple types of cereal
usually just buy meat when I need it, freeze leftovers if we get sick of them
butter
half and half
milk
a selection of deli meats
cheeses - way too many to count
cottage cheese
sour cream
all-purpose flour
white sugar
brown sugar
confectioner sugar
Crisco
molasses
Karo syrup
Freezer items: ice cream, frozen "bargain meats", stock in ice cube trays, and frozen vegetables (spinach, corn, baby peas)

 
my basics:

Olive oil
Canola/soybean oil
non-trans-fatty-acid shortening
Apple and white vinegar
All purpost flour
Brown and white sugar
Dice tomatoes in juice
Tomato paste
soy sauce
chicken and beef broth pastes
linguini and spaghetti pasta
box of thin, dried chinese egg noodles
dried rice noodles
white and brown jasmine rice
condensed and sweetened condensed milks
some canned vegetables (mainly green beans)
fresh potatoes and dried potatoe flakes
some canned beans, usually pinto and some sort of white bean
mixed dried wild mushrooms
onions and garlic
packaged ramen noodles (all flavors, especially shrimp
prepared thai shrimp paste
chinese black vinegar
toasted sesame oil
thin, dried shreds of "wood ear" mushrooms
hotsauces of various sorts, especially the milder louisiana style with garlic
artichoke hearts
unsweetened cocoa and baking chocolate
chocolate chips
regular rolled oats
steel-cut oats
onion and garlic powders
liquid smoke ("Wright's")
applesauce
home canned albacore tuna
mayonnaise
peanut butter
jams/jellies of various sorts (currently lemon jelly, pommegranite jelly, apricot and blueberry jams)
mustard, usual yellow and grainy with garlic
GIANT bottles of ketchup (son eats it like a favorite vegetable
sardines canned in "hot sauce" or tomato sauce
tea of various sorts (real tea, not herbal)
coffee for french press and coffee for espresso
tequila and/or mezcal (mezcal preferred)


. . . among other things

 
I try to always have:

Olive Oil
Vinegar
White Vermouth
Dijon Mustard
Mayonnaise
All-purpose Flour
Bread Flour
Cake Flour
Sugar
Yeast
Eggs
Milk
Butter
Swiss Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Lemons
Onions
Garlic
Potatoes
Carrots
Tomatoes
Avocados
Salad Greens
Dried Pasta
Herbs and Spices
Rice
Dried Beans
Dried Lentils
Canned Beans
Canned Olives
Canned Tomatoes
Canned Tuna
Canned Anchovies
Canned Peas
Canned Soup

And it's nice to have in the freezer:

Chicken Stock (and sometimes beef or fish stock)
Chicken Parts
Seafood
Pesto
Pastry dough
Homemade Breads
Unfrosted Cakes
Duck Confit (I gotta have it.)
Assorted entrees from Trader Joe's

 
It depends on your family tastes, lifestyle and the amount of ROOM in your pantry

You will NOT need to stock everything below but perhaps it will be helpful for you to see what the other end of the spectrum is- the "over-the-top-superstocked" kitchen.

We do a lot of on-the-spot entertaining. We also live in a place where ingredients are not always available and when they are, I buy extra. We have a large pantry and a stand-alone freezer. I stock them both so I can comfortably choose from several menus depending on my mood or the situation that presents itself. I will give you four lists: pantry, freezer, baking, dry spices/herbs. This amount is ridiculous for most people but works well for our situation. This is what I have in stock right now:

Pantry:
Jasmine rice
medium grain white rice
brown rice
Thai black rice
wild rice (not really rice!)
lasagna noodles
wide egg noodles
2-3 different shapes of small pasta
spaghetti
orzo
dried mushrooms
barley
dried lentils
dried beans- 2 kinds
black olives
Kalmata olives
green stuffed olives
pickled green beans
grape leaves
canned truffles
capers
anchovies
green peppercorns in brine
liver pate
canned kidney beans
canned garbanzo beans
canned cannelli beans
canned black beans
Chicken noodle soup (emergency sick rations)
cream of mushroom soup
canned chicken broth
canned beef broth
canned vegetable broth
canned tomato sauce
canned diced tomatoes
canned tomato paste
canned green beans- French style
canned creamed corn
canned baby corn
water chestnuts
bamboo shoots
French fried onions
sliced beets
julienned beets
applesauce
canned mandarin oranges
mayo
mustards- 3 kinds
ketchup
salsa
canned green chilis
canned jalapenos
pepperincinis
hot sauce- 2 kinds
pickles- 2 kinds
spiced apples
Sesame oil
olive oil
canola oil
white vinegar
cider vinegar
raspberry vinegar
balsamic vinegar
rice vinegar
hoisin sauce
BBQ sauce- 3 kinds
orange glaze
tonkatsu sauce
Korean rib sauce
maple chipoltle grill sauce
mayo
Durkee's Famous Sauce
cocktail sauce
tahini
wasabi
salad dressing-2 kinds for emergency
wines for cooking
sake for cooking
madiera, marsala, sherry for cooking
bread crumbs
dry potato flakes
sesame seed
poppy seed
pine nuts
walnuts
pecans
mac nuts
canned coconut milk
evaporated milk
condensed milk
dry milk
cocoa powder
orange oil
lemon oil
lime oil
tapioca
raisins
dried cranberries
dried corn
canned pumpkin
miso soup base
Hormel chili
Albacore tuna
smoked salmon
coffee powder

Freezer:
chicken (whole, thighs, breasts)
pork (chops, tenderloin, loin roast, butt)
beef (steaks, serloin, chuck, tri-tip, standing rib roast, ground)
lamb (boned leg, chops)
veal (scallops, chops)
a turkey
Italian sausage
Chorizo
Polish sausage
andouille sausage
pepperoni
bacon
ham
butter
frozen veggies- spinach, lima beans, corn, edamame
cheeses: parmesan, mozz
frozen shrimp, scallops
frozen wild salmon
pastas: tortellini, ravioli, fettucini
frozen fruit: strawberries, raspberries, mango chunks, blueberries
tortillas
pita bread
English muffins
bagels

Baking:
all-purpose flour
bread flour
corn meal
rolled oats
white sugar
brown sugar
confectioner sugar
Crisco
molasses
Karo syrup
baking powder
baking soda
vanilla- 3 kinds (Tahitian, Madagascar, Mexican) and beans
yeast
gelatine
rennet
cream of tartar
alum
corn starch
coconut
chocolate

Dry spices/herbs:
ground pepper
peppercorns
salt- 4 kinds
rosemary
thyme
oregano
basil
dill
dill seed
mustard seed
pickling spice
cardamom
arrowroot
bay leaves
garam masala
herges de Provence
cumin
coriander
tarragon
chili powder
cayenne pepper
crushed red pepper
dry hot mustard
paprika
Beau Monde
celery seed
caraway seed
juniper berries
fennel seed
caraway seed
sage
curry powder
cinnamon
cloves
nutmeg
allspice
ginger

 
That pretty much covers it....though I also like to also have on hand

ginger
soy sauce
fish sauce
sriracha sauce
three or more kinds of "black" pepper
parsley and cilantro
bacon
chipotle powder, ancho powder, etc
a jalapeno and habanero or two
frozen, sliced flank steak
cheddar cheese

 
They have some thin-crust pizzas from Italy and an Alsatian-style ham, cheese and onion tart

that I'm totally hooked on right now. They all go frozen right onto the oven rack. They have good frozen taquitos and gnocci with tomato sauce and mozz. They have lots of good fresh things too but I like to have the frozen stuff on hand for emergencies.

 
I'm so ashamed....

...no dried corn,no truffles, and no rennet...but add a couple types of basmati rice and my gallon of "Pele's Fire" chili macadamia nut oil and it looks just like my little walk-in closet pantry! What a surprise!

 
Haven't tried the tart...will look for it. The pizzas are good as are...

some of the mexican things and the gyoza are pretty good in an emergency too. I like the fresh curries if I'm in a hurry, but I do like to have some things in the fridge...sometimes emergency = oh blaah, I don't want to cook tonight!

 
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